Safety



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. G. CUMMINGS.

SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR RAIL'WAYS.

No. 276,564. Patented May 1,1883.

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2 Sheets--Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

A. G. CUMMINGS SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR 'RAILWAYS.

Patented May 1, 1883.

Inventor,

UNITED STATES 1 PATENT QFFIGE.

ALBERT G. CUMMINGS, OF HARRISBURG, ASSIGNOR TO THE PENNSYL- VANIA STEELCOMPANY, OF STEELION, PENNSYLVANIA.

SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 276,564, dated May 1,1883.

Application filed January 12, 1883. (No model.)

'To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT Gr. OUMMINGs, acitizen of the United States,residing-at Harrisburg, in the county ofDauphin and State of 1 Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Safety Appliances for Railways; and I do declarethe following to for the purpose of rendering it impossible for trainsmoving in disregard of danger-signals to come in collision with othertrains for which safety-signals have been given.

In myformer patent,.No. 226,499, dated April 13, 1880, I have shownasystem of interlocking levers for switches and signals by which thesignals are locked to indicate dan ger until all conflicting signalshave been set 'and locked, so that a switch or signal operaan to displaysafety-signals for twointerfer- .ing lines of tracks at the same time,'there is danger that careless train-men may move their trains indisregard of stop or danger signals and run across tracks for wbichsafety-signals have been given to other trains, and thus causecollisions to take place, and it is the object of my invention to removesuch danger, and to render such collisions impossible by the use ofswitches so set in the track used by a train approaching a point ofpossible collision (in disregard offdanger-signals) that said train willby said switch be prevented from con tinued movement into a line oftrack for which safety-signals have been given.

Inthedrawings, Figure 1 is a diagram of tracks A, B, G,D, E, F, and G,with signals and switches. Fig. 2 represents a single-pointswitch. a I

Referring to Fig. 1, A and B represent two main lines of a double-trackrailroad on which trains will generally move in the direction indicatedby the arrows; and U and D represent two lines of single-track railroadon which trains move in both directions. B 0, 0 E, and F represent sideand branch tracks connecting to theabove-mentioned tracks by meansot'switches A213, 0 G and D 0 0 D, and 1) represent throw-off switches,by which the tracks 0, C and D may be broken and renderetl'impassablefor trains. H represents the lines of connections from the variousswitches to interlocking levers by means of which the switches are to beoperated, said levers being arranged in the cabin N, as is customary insuch cases. The connections to signals are not shown. 1 represents thesignal for track B. 2 and 3 represent signals for track A. 4, 5, and 6represent the signals for track D. 7, 8, 9, and 10 represent signals fortrack 0, U, and 0 In Fig. 2, I show details of a form of throwofl switchwhich I prefer to use, the single 'pointrail O of such form as to fitproperly against a stock-rail, 1?, the normal position of the point-rail0 being such as to gage with the main-line rail S and bear against thestockrail P. The stock-rail P is made to lead away from the line oftrack, so that when the pointrail 0 is moved away from the stock-rail 1?into the reversed position any wheel'srunning on said stock-rail Ptoward the'heel of the switch will drop off said rail P. Whe'uthepoint-rail O is in its normal position against the stock-rail P it issecured by a lock-bolt, L, passing through an opening in the switch-rodK, and operated by means of a rod, R, which will be connected to asafety or detector bar, preferably such as described in m y,Patent No.271,808, of February 6,1883, said lock andbar being operated by aninterlocking lever in the cabin N. i i

All of the switches I have mentioned will be provided with similararrangement ot'lockbolts and safety-bars operated by interlockinglevers. With a system of interlocking levers for the operation of theswitches, signals, 82.0., the normal position of the levers usually isthat in which all the switches are ICO ' locked with the otherhand-levers, so that it will be impossible to move them or change theposition of the switches, 620., until the signal has been returned todanger, when other combinations may be effected in like manner.

Let it be supposed that a train is to be taken through on track B, Fig.1; the operation will be asfollows: Switch 0 will be opened, so that ifa train on track 0 should run past signals 7 and Sit would go onto trackF; switches O and C will be opened, so that if trains on tracks 0 or 0should run past their respective signals 9 and 10 they would bederailed; switches D and D will be opened, so that if trains on track Dshould run past their respective signals 4, 5, or 6 they would also bederailed; then switch B is locked, and finally the signal 1 will be setto indicate safety,

and the train on track B can proceed. The reversing of thehand-lever ofsignal 1 will lock all of the hand-levers for said switches C 0, (J D,and D and prevent their change until the signal 1 is returned to danger.While switch C is opened, as above mentioned, the signal 8 may becleared to allow movements between track F and the portion of track 0outside of switch 0 Or, let it be-supposed that a train is to pass frompoint D of the track D over tracks E, A, and G and proceed on track B inthe direction indicated by arrow; the operation will be as follows: theswitch G will be opened, so that if a train on track (J. should run pastsignals-.7 and Sit would be diverted onto track F switches C and G willbe opened, so that if trains on tracks 0 or 0 should run past theirrespective signals 9 and 10 they would be derailed, and switch D will beopened, so that if a train on track D should run past signal 6 it wouldbe derailed; switch B will be opened and locked, so that if a train ontrack B should run past signal 1 it would be diverted onto track B andprevented from coming into collision with a train on the route we havein view. The levers of switches B and B are interlocked, so that themovement of' switch B is required to release switch B; next, theswitches A and B will be opened and locked, the switches A and D? willbe opened and locked, the switch D will be locked, and finally thesignal 4. will be set to indicate safety, and the hand-levers of allconflicting signals and diverting-switches thereby locked in theirpositions, and the train will proceed over the aforesaid route.

It willf be noticed that the switches B and B face outward in oppositedirections from that portion of the track B over which passage of trainsisto be prevented in the movement just described, and that the switch Bmust be set to break the track B to allow the switch. B to be set toform a junction of the track G with the track B.

Havingfully explained the arrangement and operation of the switches andsignals for two movements, it will be apparentthat other movements asmay be required can be provided for in a similar manner.

In the movements above described it will be noticed that the switches Oand B besides their usual functions, serve as safety elements ofimportance when they are operated byinterlockinglevers in the mannerdescribed, and are made parts of the combinations as I have abovementioned. It will be noticed, also, that by use of the throw-ohswitches 0 D, and D operated by interlocking levers and combining theiroperation in the manner described, I have secured a means of controllingthe movements of trains that may be carelessly run past danger signalsthat does effectually prevent such trains from collisiou with othertrains which are proceeding in due accordance with safety-signals; also,that such throw-ofl' switches may be used many system of tracks wheninterlocked with the signals, so that a track or any part thereof may beeffectually prevented from improper movements of trains, and the mannerof placing or using switches for such. purposes will be readilyunderstood by those skilled in such matters, and need not be moreparticularly described in this specification.

' Although theinterlocking mechanism Ihave usedis that describedin myPatent No. 226,499, I do not confine myself to the use of thatparticular design of interlocking apparatus, as the purposes of myinvention may be effected by the use of any pattern or design ofinterlocking mechanism which will so interlock switch and signal leversthat one lever will control the movement of other levers.

IIO

I .am aware of the use of throw-off switches in side tracks to preventaccidental movement into main tracks of cars on such side tracks, alsoof the use of throw-oft switches operated singly byhand-levers at theswitch, the same having no connection with other switches or othersignals; but I am not aware of their use in the manner I have described;and

I claim as my invention-- 1. The combination, with crossingtracks andsignals therefor, of an interlocking mechanism and a throw-off switch orswitches, whereby the crossing line or lines'of tracks must be broken toallow a safety-signal to be given, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

2. The combination, with crossing mainlines, of a tnrn-outand switch andinterlocking mechanismrequiring the switch in one line to be I set. tothe. turn-out before a safety-signal is given to the other line,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with a line of track, a line of track is broken forprotection of trains switch facing in one direction breaking said line,and a branch leading into it beyond said break, of a switch facing inthe opposite di- 5 rection, by which said branch connects with said lineof track, and an interlocking mechanism governing said switches, wherebysaid to or from the branch, snbstantiafly as and for the purposespecified.

ALBERT G. CUMMINGS. In presence ofr S. W. FLEMING, E1). M. COOPER.-

